The annual Wineslinger Awards’ Top 50 Venues 2020 have been revealed, with 14 venues from New South Wales, 12 from Victoria, eight from Western Australia, five each from South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, and one from ACT on the list.
The list, established Young Gun of Wine Founder Rory Kent in 2018, is designed to help Australians find the best venues for wine service, while encourage the industry to pursue creativity and excellence.
More than 100 sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality professionals and journalists vote to select the Top 50.
This year’s list sees 20 debut entries sitting alongside a host of favourites. It includes venues from across the country, such as Liberté, a French-influenced Vietnamese restaurant in Albany, 500km from Perth and Snack Man in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, which dishes up Chinese regional snacks paired with hard-to-find bottles.
Each of the 50 venues is in the running for a number of trophies, including ‘Wineslinger’, ‘Best New Haunt’, the ‘Maverick’ which recognises a venue pushing the boundaries of possibility, and the publicly voted ‘People’s Choice’.
Once COVID-19 restrictions permit, each trophy-winning Wineslinger will receive two immersive wine experiences. One in Victoria hosted by Mike Aylward at Ocean Eight and one in South Australia hosted by Prue, Stephen and Justine Henschke with Henschke Wines.
Voting is now open to the public for the People’s Choice Award. For every person who enters the People’s Choice competition, Wineslinger will donate $1 to hospitality relief fund Tip Jar. Voting closes on Monday 19 October at 12:00pm.
“COVID-19 has made it a pretty tough year for venues nationwide, with forced closures across the industry,” says Wineslinger Founder Rory Kent. “We’ve all been bottled up. Some adapted by pivoting to selling wine retail and food as takeaway, some others battened down the hatches and waited for the storm to pass, while others cut their losses and shut up shop. Right now is a time when venues need support and recognition more than ever. It’s a time to celebrate those places and hospitality professionals that we love. Additionally, we’re determined to raise funds through Tip Jar that will feed, house, employ, upskill and support the food and beverage industry.”
The 2020 Wineslinger trophy winners will be revealed in a virtual presentation on Monday 19 October.
Wineslinger 2020 Top 50 Venues:
ACT
NEW SOUTH WALES
- 10 William Street, Paddington
- Alberto’s Lounge, Sydney
- Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney
- Bibo Wine Bar, Double Bay
- Dear Sainte Eloise, Potts Point
- Ester, Chippendale
- Fix Wine, Sydney
- Fleet, Brunswick Heads
- Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst
- Ode Bar, Bondi
- Poly, Surry Hills
- Ragazzi, Sydney
- Where’s Nick, Marrickville
- WyNo x Bodega, Surry Hills
QUEENSLAND
- Cru Bar + Cellar, Fortitude Valley
- La Lune Wine Co, South Brisbane
- La Lupa, West End
- Maeve Wine Bar, South Brisbane
- Snack Man, Fortitude Valley
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
- Hellbound, Adelaide
- Leigh Street Wine Room, Adelaide
- Mother Vine, Adelaide
- The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale
- The Summertown Aristologist, Summertown
TASMANIA
- Havilah, Launceston
- Lucinda, Hobart
- Sonny, Hobart
- Stillwater, Launceston
- Tom McHugo’s Hobart Hotel, Hobart
VICTORIA
- Bar Liberty, Fitzroy
- Carlton Wine Room, Carlton
- City Wine Shop, Melbourne
- Embla, Melbourne
- Etta, Brunswick East
- France-Soir, South Yarra
- Geralds Bar, Carlton North
- Marion, Fitzroy
- Napier Quarter, Fitzroy
- Old Palm Liquor, Brunswick East
- Union Street Wine, Geelong
- Winespeake, Daylesford
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
- Lalla Rookh, Perth
- Le Rebelle, Mount Lawley
- Liberté, Albany
- Lulu La Delizia, Subiaco
- Madalena’s Bar, South Fremantle
- Petition Wine Merchant, Perth
- Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
- Wines of While, Perth
Photography Nikki To
